Sauquoit student graduates college before high school

Saturday

May 13, 2017 at 6:59 AM

Carolyn Bostick @OD_Bostick

You could say without question that Ciboney Fowler is an ambitious student.

After all, how often does a high school student wrangle graduating from college before getting their high school diploma? The Sauquoit senior received her associate degree from MVCC during Friday's ceremony, more than a month before she gets her high school diploma from Sauquoit.

"I wanted to take on a challenge, I was kind of bored with high school," Fowler said.

Fowler went to high school guidance counselor Peter Scialdone with her plans as a junior. At first, he wasn't sure that dual graduations were even possible.

"From what I understand, she's only the third person in the county to do this. When she came to me originally, I didn't think she would be able to do this," Scialdone said.

Balancing two sets of schoolwork, extracurriculars like stage-managing for the high school show, volunteering for Joseph's Experience and working a part-time job may seem an insurmountable list of responsibilities, but Fowler managed it all through dedication and drive.

"I'm relieved that I've come this far," she said. "It's really been an experience, it's really something knowing I can do it."

It also helped that Scialdone works both at Sauquoit Valley High School as a guidance counselor as well as being an adviser at MVCC.

"I was able to piece together what she was doing in high school and what she was doing in college," he said.

Juggling six credit hours each week for college, 35 hours of classes for high school and taking summer courses adds up quickly.

"You're looking at 40 hours a week of just school," Scialdone said.

Fowler will be attending Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University where she will be pursuing a degree in air-traffic management. Aeronautical occupations are no stranger to her family, so it was something that she thought would fit with her background and calmness under pressure.